Action Network

Leadership Council

The ImpactTulsa Leadership Council is a group of cross-sector, executive-level leaders from education, non-profit, philanthropy, business, civic, faith-based and community organizations that participate in setting the direction of the partnership. The Council’s role is to convene partners, make strategic decisions, remove political, financial and operational barriers, and focus on eliminating disparities.

Leadership Staff

The ImpactTulsa Leadership staff provides the support for the day-to-day operations of the partnership, including data analytics and best practice research. The staff’s role is to serve as the central hub for the partners and the work of each group around the strategic priorities.

The staff convenes a data council, communications council, launches action networks, handles communications support, provides strategic assistance for partners, helps develop recommendations for Leadership Council/Steering Committee action on behalf of the partners, drafts partnership Memorandums of Understanding, and advocates on behalf of the partnership. The leadership staff also ensures communication among the partners.

LEADERSHIP COUNCIL CHAIR

Kathy Taylor

Kathy Taylor is a proven leader, business executive, public servant, and corporate attorney. She currently serves as Chair of the Leadership Council for ImpactTulsa, an unprecedented partnership focused on the collective impact business, education, philanthropic and civic leaders can have to increase student success in the Tulsa region.

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Kathy Taylor

Kathy Taylor is a proven leader, business executive, public servant, and corporate attorney. She currently serves as CEO of ImpactTulsa, an unprecedented partnership focused on the collective impact business, education, philanthropic and civic leaders can have to increase student success in the Tulsa region.

Kathy has a distinguished record of public service. From 2006 – 2009, Kathy led Tulsa as its Mayor. Her administration led the way to create afterschool and mentoring programs; launch the City’s first entrepreneur business competition; increase trust between the community and law enforcement with the creation of the Mayor’s Police and Community Coalition; revitalize downtown with the completion of the award-winning BOK event center and construction of ONEOK field.

Kathy also served two stints in state government first in 2003 when she was appointed Oklahoma’s Secretary of Commerce, Tourism and Workforce Development and Executive Director of the Department of Commerce. Her leadership at the state helped Oklahoma land the largest Dell facility in the U.S. outside their corporate headquarters and saw the creation of thousands of jobs in Oklahoma. Kathy returned to state government after completing her term as Mayor, serving as the Governor’s Chief of Education Strategy and Innovation. In this role, she spearheaded a bipartisan dialogue across the state with business, teachers and parents about necessary education reforms.

In 2012, Kathy served as a resident fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics. Currently, Kathy serves as the regional board chair and on the national board of Reading Partners. She is also a member of the Board of SONIC®, America’s Drive-In®, the nation’s largest chain of drive-in restaurants with more than 3,500 drive-ins serving approximately 3 million customers every day.

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Executive Director

Kathy Seibold, Ed.D

Dr. Kathy Seibold is the executive director of ImpactTulsa. She is an advocate for quality education, social improvements, and collective impact. She holds a doctorate of Education in Higher Education Leadership from Oklahoma State University.

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DR. KATHY SEIBOLD

Executive Director, ImpactTulsa
Dr. Kathy Seibold is the executive director of ImpactTulsa. She is an advocate for quality education, social improvements, and collective impact. She holds a doctorate of Education in Higher Education Leadership from Oklahoma State University. She has over 20 years of experience as an educator, administrator, and community organizer. Her experience includes nonprofit leader, university professor, higher education administrator, and district-level public education administrator, and K-8 classroom teacher. Before joining ImpactTulsa, Kathy served as the Executive Director of Student and Family Support Services at Tulsa Public Schools, Vice President for Community Investments at Tulsa Area United Way and the Assistant Vice President for Campus Affairs at The University of Oklahoma-Tulsa.

At the heart of Kathy’s philosophy on education and community development is Collective Impact. The approach brings people together in a structured way to address systemic challenges. Collective Impact utilizes cross-sector partnerships to set a common agenda, implement coordinated programming, and measure success toward improved. In her new role at ImpactTulsa, she will partner with nonprofit agencies, philanthropic organizations, schools, public entities, businesses, and community volunteers to implement initiatives that support the diverse needs of students and families.

Kathy’s strengths include working with community partners to develop data collection strategies for tracking and measuring nonprofit support services, align resources toward common goals, and develop specific action steps to achieve success. Her achievements include designing social support services for students that approach educational achievement from a whole-child perspective at Tulsa Public Schools, founding civic and volunteer services that mobilize students, faculty, staff, and community partners to address the complex challenges facing society at The University of Oklahoma-Tulsa, and designing data collection tools at Tulsa Area United Way that illustrate the impact social support services have in the community as a collective.

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PARTNER ENGAGEMENT

Autumn Worten, MBA

As a Tulsa native with a passion for education, Autumn Worten is excited to serve as the Director of Partner Engagement for Impact! Tulsa. Autumn has spent her career in marketing, customer/stakeholder relations and logistics.

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Autumn Worten

As a Tulsa native with a passion for education, Autumn Worten is excited to serve as the Director of Partner Engagement for Impact! Tulsa. Autumn has spent her career in marketing, customer/stakeholder relations and logistics. Her love of education and entrepreneurship inspired her to launch “Bright Tot” a small start-up company that focuses on enhancing the parent-child experience through a monthly delivery of developmentally appropriate activities and crafts. Autumn is a leader in the entrepreneurial community in Tulsa serving as the Director for the TCC StartUp Cup.

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RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS

Janell Chery, M.S. Ed.

Janell Chery moved to Tulsa from her hometown of Brooklyn, New York. Her inquisitive nature propelled her into a career in research. Janell has spent a number of years working in research for both the public and private sectors. Janell is a first-generation college student and former Gates Foundation Millennium Scholar.

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JANELL CHERY

Janell Chery moved to Tulsa from her hometown of Brooklyn, New York. Her inquisitive nature propelled her into a career in research. Janell has spent a number of years working in research for both the public and private sectors.

Upon finishing her graduate studies, she worked for MDRC, a leading education and social policy research non-profit in NY, as a Resource Manager and Research Analyst in the K-12 Education policy area. In her role, she worked on a number of federal and foundation program evaluations focusing on adolescent literacy, small school creation, and high school dropout prevention. She excelled in using a range of quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Recently, she worked for Insight Strategy Group, a boutique consumer research and strategy firm in NY, as a Research Analyst. She provided top kids media and toy brands with actionable findings to engage children and parents. She is well versed in the lives of children both at home and inside the classroom.

As a first-generation college student and former Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar, she understands how education can transform a child’s life trajectory. Janell holds a Bachelor’s degree in American Studies/Sociology from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA and a Master of Science degree in Education Policy from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education in Philadelphia, PA.

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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Alex Paschal

Alex Paschal joined ImpactTulsa in January 2015 as the Manager of Community Engagement. Alex’s appreciation for the power of volunteers took shape when she worked as a Supervisor for the Los Angeles Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). She later became a Special Events and Volunteer Coordinator for Villa Esperanza Services.

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Alex Paschal

Alex Paschal joined ImpactTulsa in January 2015 as the Manager of Community Engagement. Alex grew up in Tulsa and graduated from Memorial High School. She attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development and Cognitive Studies. She spent 11 years in Los Angeles, California before she and her family returned to Tulsa.

Alex’s appreciation for the power of volunteers took shape when she worked as a Supervisor for the Los Angeles Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). She later became a Special Events and Volunteer Coordinator for Villa Esperanza Services in Pasadena, California, a non-profit organization serving children, adults and seniors with developmental disabilities.

Since returning to Tulsa, Alex served as a Project Manager for the opening of the Henry Zarrow Center for Art and Education where she worked as a liaison with the Junior League, the University of Tulsa and Gilcrease Museum. She went on to serve as the Director of Development for the Junior League of Tulsa supporting their fundraising efforts from 2012-2015.

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EARLY LEARNING

Jessica Smith, M.S. Ed.

Jessica is the Director of Early Learning at ImpactTulsa who is dedicated to serving children and enhancing education in the Tulsa community. She brings more than fifteen years of public education and nonprofit experience to the organization. Her passion and drive to improve the lives of students are evident throughout her career.

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Jessica Smith

Jessica Smith is the Director of Early Learning at ImpactTulsa who is dedicated to serving children and enhancing education in the Tulsa community. She brings more than fifteen years of public education and nonprofit experience to the organization. Her passion and drive to improve the lives of students are evident throughout her career.

Before joining the ImpactTulsa team, Jessica led a team of 52 people to serve over 1,300 students in 22 Tulsa Public Schools as the Program Director for Reading Partners Tulsa, where student enrollment increased 400% over the 4 years, and student proficiency increased year after year. Prior to joining Reading Partners Tulsa, Jessica was a library media specialist for nine years and was an administrator in TPS for the 2012-2013 school year.

Jessica brings a host of strengths to her role including strategic planning, project management, innovation, relationship building, analyzing and using data for continuous improvement, and communication. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Master’s degree in Library Media Science from Northeastern State University. She obtained her Elementary Principal certification, holds her National Board Certification in Library Media, and is currently working on her doctoral dissertation with the University of Oklahoma in educational administration, curriculum, and supervision. Jessica is also a proud member of Leadership Tulsa, class of 52.

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About Us

ImpactTulsa measures what matters. We identify and share best practices from across the United States.
We align resources to achieve transformative impact. This is the new way of working together. It is collective impact. Continue reading.